My Genealogy Hound

WILSON S. WATSON, an old pioneer of Ballard County, was born in Christian County, Ky., June 20, 1820. He is the first of three boys and one girl born to Samuel B. and Clarissa (Lowder) Watson, natives of Christian County, Ky. and Pennsylvania, and respectively of Scotch and Dutch descent. His grandfather was Robert Watson, a mill wright. Our subject was reared on a farm and received a fair common school education. He lived with his parents till he was sixteen years old, when he commenced the saddler’s trade in Lafayette, Christian Co., Ky. After an apprenticeship of four years, he worked one year in Hopkinsville, then returned to Lafayette, where he was married in May, 1839, to Miss Sally Ann Roberts of Christian County, Ky. She was born in February, 1825, and is a daughter of Thomas F. and Mahala (Wells) Roberts. He had born to him by this union eight children: Martha (now Stoveall), Thomas S., William L., Clementine (dead), Lucy M. (now living in St. Louis), Nancy M. (dead), Henry B. (dead), and one that died in infancy. Mr. Watson, four years after his marriage, moved to Canton, Trigg County, where he remained three years and then returned to Lafayette, where he remained till January, 1844, when he settled in the northern part of Ballard County. In 1848, he moved to Blandville, where he has lived and successfully carried on his trade ever since. In 1846,he was assessor and has also been constable four or five years, he was elected county judge, in 1854, for one term, and was constable during the war. While performing his duty as an officer, he had all his papers and saddle-bags taken from him. He was elected justice after the war, which office he has held ever since, except four years. He had two sons in the Confederate Army. His wife died in April, 1863; she was a member of the Christian Church. He was next married in June, 1872, to Mrs. Pelina (Childs) Linthicum, of Ballard County; she was the mother of four children by her former marriage; she is a member, of the Christian Church. Mr. Watson was formerly an Odd Fellow and in politics is a Democrat.